Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology Commons^™

Nonlinear Dynamics In Ecosystem Response To Climatic Change: Case Studies And Policy Implications, Virginia R. Burkett, Douglas A. Wilcox, Wilcox Stottlemyer, Wylie Barrow, Dan Fagre, Jill Baron, Jeff Price, Jennifer L. Nielsen, Craig D. Allen, David L. Peterson, Greg Ruggerone, Thomas Doyle

United States Geological Survey: Staff Publications

Many biological, hydrological, and geological processes are interactively linked in ecosystems. These ecological phenomena normally vary within bounded ranges, but rapid, nonlinear changes to markedly different conditions can be triggered by even small differences if threshold values are exceeded. Intrinsic and extrinsic ecological thresholds can lead to effects that cascade among systems, precluding accurate modeling and prediction of system response to climate change. Ten case studies from North America illustrate how changes in climate can lead to rapid, threshold-type responses within ecological communities; the case studies also highlight the role of human activities that alter the rate or direction of …

Catlett-Burruss Research And Education Laboratory Dedication Ceremony, College Of William And Mary, Virginia Institute Of Marine Science, Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve In Virginia

Miscellaneous

Brochure for Dedication: Program of events celebrating the dedication of the Catlett-Burruss Research and Education Laboratory and honoring Dr. William Reay with the NOAA Environmental Hero Award.

Uvsd: Software For Detection Of Color Underwater Features, Yuri Rzhanov, Anton Mamaenko, M Yoklavich

Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping

Underwater Video Spot Detector (UVSD) is a software package designed to analyze underwater video for continuous spatial measurements (path traveled, distance to the bottom, roughness of the surface etc.) Laser beams of known geometry are often used in underwater imagery to estimate the distance to the bottom. This estimation is based on the manual detection of laser spots which is labor intensive and time consuming so usually only a few frames can be processed this way. This allows for spatial measurements on single frames (distance to the bottom, size of objects on the sea-bottom), but not for the whole video …

Final Report: Evaluation Of The Morphoedaphic Index And Sediment Diatoms For Inference Of Pre-European Settlement Total Phosphorus Concentration In Epa Region 10 Lakes, Rich Miller, Aaron Hook, Richard Petersen, Mark D. Sytsma

Center for Lakes and Reservoirs Publications and Presentations

Water quality in many Northwest lakes has declined over the past century due, in part, to increased anthropogenic nutrient loading (Edmonson and Lehman, 1981). Under the Clean Water Act, resource managers such as the Washington Department of Ecology, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, and tribes are responsible for restoring and protecting the integrity of these waters. Targets for restoration or criteria for impairment are not well defined, however, and may naturally vary by geology, hydrology, morphometry, and climate.

One way to determine whether lakes are impaired and to identify restoration targets is to assess lake reference conditions (EPA 2000). Reference …

A Comparison Of Diets And Water Agitation Methods For Larval Culture Of The Edible Sea Urchin, Tripneustes Ventricosus (Echinodermata: Echinoidea), Ray Wolcott, Charles G. Messing

Marine & Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles

Tripneustes ventricosus (Lamarck, 1816) has been harvested for human consumption in the Caribbean for centuries, where harvest rates occasionally exceed sustainability. Historically a backreef and grass-bed urchin, the species has recently been observed on the forereef where it appears to control macroalgal growth in the absence of Diadema antillarum (Philippi, 1845) (Woodley and Gayle, 1999). Large-scale culturing has the potential to produce T. ventricosus in sufficient numbers for remediation of degraded coral reefs, restocking of nearshore habitats, and development of an aquaculture industry for one or more Caribbean islands. We report the first successful culturing of T. ventricosus from fertilization …

A New Pathway For Communicating The 11-Year Solar Cycle Signal To The Qbo, Eugene C. Cordero, Terrence R. Nathan

Faculty Publications, Meteorology and Climate Science

[1] The response of the equatorial quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) to zonal-mean ozone perturbations consistent with the 11-year solar cycle is examined using a 2 1/2 dimensional model of the tropical stratosphere. Unique to this model are wave-ozone feedbacks, which provide a new, nonlinear pathway for communicating solar variability effects to the QBO. Model simulations show that for zonal-mean ozone perturbations representative of solar maximum (minimum), the diabatic heating due to the wave-ozone feedbacks is primarily responsible for driving a slightly stronger (weaker) QBO circulation and producing a slightly shorter (longer) QBO period. These results, which are explained via an analytical …

Seafloor Characterization Through The Application Of Avo Analysis To Multibeam Sonar Data, Luciano E. Fonseca, Larry A. Mayer, Barbara J. Kraft

Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping

In the seismic reflection method, it is well known that seismic amplitude varies with the offset between the seismic source and detector and that this variation is a key to the direct determination of lithology and pore fluid content of subsurface strata. Based on this fundamental property, amplitude-versus-offset (AVO) analysis has been used successfully in the oil industry for the exploration and characterization of subsurface reservoirs. Multibeam sonars acquire acoustic backscatter over a wide range of incidence angles and the variation of the backscatter with the angle of incidence is an intrinsic property of the seafloor. Building on this analogy, …

Measurement Of In Situ Acoustic Properties For The Onr Geoclutter Program, Annual Report, Geoclutter Program, Larry A. Mayer, Barbara J. Kraft, Luciano E. Fonseca

Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping

No abstract provided.

A New Pathway For Communicating The 11-Year Solar Cycle Signal To The Qbo, Eugene C. Cordero, Terrence R. Nathan

Eugene C. Cordero

[1] The response of the equatorial quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) to zonal-mean ozone perturbations consistent with the 11-year solar cycle is examined using a 2 1/2 dimensional model of the tropical stratosphere. Unique to this model are wave-ozone feedbacks, which provide a new, nonlinear pathway for communicating solar variability effects to the QBO. Model simulations show that for zonal-mean ozone perturbations representative of solar maximum (minimum), the diabatic heating due to the wave-ozone feedbacks is primarily responsible for driving a slightly stronger (weaker) QBO circulation and producing a slightly shorter (longer) QBO period. These results, which are explained via an analytical …

Aquaculture-Based Calibration Of The M.Edulis Isotope Paleothermometer, Karl J. Kreutz, Harold Borns, Douglas Introne, Bruce Barber, Sven Funder

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

Oxygen isotopic analysis of marine carbonate shells (δ¹⁸O_c) is a standard paleoceanographic technique used to document the chronology of seawater temperature change. Shell δ¹⁸O_c depends not only upon seawater temperature, but also upon the isotopic composition of the seawater (δ¹⁸O_w; related to salinity) and any species-specific fractionation that occurs during biomineralization. In the past, the interpretation of shell δ¹⁸O_c has been based upon theoretical studies of chemical equilibrium and kinetics, or laboratory experiments involving the inorganic precipitation of CaCO₃ from solution. Other methods have employed …

The Open Navigation Surface Project, Brian R. Calder, Shannon Byrne, Bill Lamey, Rick T. Brennan, James D. Case, David Fabre, Barry Gallagher, R Wade Ladner, Friedhelm Moggert, Mark Paton

Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping

Many hydrographic and oceanographic agencies have moved or are moving towards gridded bathymetric products. However, there is no accepted format to allow these grids to be exchanged while maintaining data and metadata integrity. This paper describes the Open Navigation Surface (ONS) Project, which aims to fill this gap. The ONS Project is an open-source software project designed to provide a freely available, portable source-code library to encapsulate gridded bathymetric surfaces with associated uncertainty values. The data file format is called a Bathymetric Attributed Grid (BAG). The BAG is developed and maintained by the ONS Working Group (ONSWG), and the source …

Summer 2005, Nsu Oceanographic Center

Currents

No abstract provided.

Mass Loading Measurements In Amargosa Valley, John C. Sagebiel, Alan W. Gertler, Amy J. Smiecinski, David Shafer

Publications (YM)

This work will be conducted under Task DRI-FI-001, “Mass Loading Measurements in Amargosa Valley.” The objective of this task is to measure, with known accuracy, the levels of atmospheric mass loading (mass concentration of suspended particulates) accompanying soil surface disturbing activities in Amargosa Valley. Mass loading is used in the biosphere model to calculate inhalation exposure for the human receptor, the maximally reasonably exposed individual (RMEI). The mass loading currently used in the biosphere model is based on literature data from the analog sites rather than on site-specific conditions. This work is subject to the Nevada System of Higher Education …

Applying The Test Of Appurtenance Globally: A New Inventory Of Wide Margin States From Public Domain Data, Dave Monahan, Robert Van De Poll, Sara Cockburn

Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping

No abstract provided.

U.S. Law Of The Sea Cruise To Map The Foot Of The Slope And 2500-M Isobath Of The Northeast U.S. Atlantic Continental Margin: Legs 4 And 5. Cruise Report, Doug Cartwright, James V. Gardner

Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping

U.S. Law of the Sea cruise to map the foot of the slope and 2500-m isobath of the Northeast US Atlantic continental margin: Legs 4 and 5

CRUISES PF05-1 and 2

April 25 to June 30, 2005

Norfolk, VA to Port Canaveral, FL

Improved Vehicle Based Multibeam Bathymetry Using Sub-Maps And Slam, Christopher Roman, Hanumant Singh

Christopher N. Roman

This paper presents an algorithm to improve sub-sea acoustic multibeam bottom mapping based on the simultaneous mapping and localization (SLAM) methodology. Multibeam bathymetry from underwater water vehicles can yield valuable large scale terrain maps of the sea door, but the overall accuracy of these maps is typically limited by the accuracy of the vehicle position estimates. The solution presented here uses small bathymetric patches created over short time scales in a sub-mapping context. These patches are registered with respect to one another and assembled in a single coordinate frame to produce a more accurate terrain estimate and provide improved renavigation …

Glacial History Of The Amundsen Sea Shelf, Thomas B. Kellogg, Daniel Belknap, Davida Kellogg, Terence Hughes

University of Maine Office of Research Administration: Grant Reports

This award, provided by the Antarctic Geology and Geophysics Program of the Office of Polar Programs, supports a marine geological investigation of the Amundsen Sea region toward a better understanding of the deglaciation history of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS). The WAIS may be inherently unstable because it is the last marine-based ice sheet in the world. Unlike other embayments in West Antarctica, major ice streams draining into the Amundsen Sea from the interior of the WAIS lack buttressing ice shelves. Mass balance data for the distal portions of these ice streams (Pine Island and Thwaites glaciers) appear to …

Phytoplankton Development Within Tidal Freshwater Regions Of Two Virginia Rivers, Harold G. Marshall, Lubomira Burchardt

Virginia Journal of Science

Phytoplankton composition and the range of seasonal patterns of abundance are presented for the tidal freshwater regions in two Virginia rivers based on data accumulated monthly from 1986 through 1999. Diatoms dominated the flora during spring, summer, and fall, whereas, other taxonomic categories were more representative when the river flow rates decreased, allowing for a more stable water system and increased residency time within this tidal region during summer and early fall. This summer/fall period was associated with increased water temperatures, higher productivity rates and chlorophyll levels, increased total phytoplankton abundance and species diversity. The major components of the summer …

The 2004 Vaca Pateau Geoarcheology Expedition - Belize, Lee J. Florea, Beth Fratesi, Philip Reeder, Amber Yuellig

Lee J Florea, PhD, P.G.

No abstract provided.

A Sensor Fusion Approach To Coastal Mapping, Maryellen Sault, Christopher Parrish, Stephen A. White, Jon Sellars, Jason Woolard

Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping

NOAA’s National Geodetic Survey (NGS) is responsible for mapping the national shoreline. This shoreline provides the critical baseline for demarcating the United States’ marine territorial limits, including its Exclusive Economic Zone; and is used in updating NOAA nautical charts and management of coastal resourses. NGS conducted a data fusion research project in collaboration with the Joint Airborne Lidar Bathymetric Technical Center of Expertise (JALBTCX) and other NOAA partners. In March and April of 2004, hyperspectral imagery, topographic lidar data, and highresolution digital color imagery were collected simultaneously aboard the NOAA Citation for coastal project areas in Florida and California. The …

The Use Of Multi-Beam Sonars To Image Bubbly Ship Wakes, R Lee Culver, Thomas C. Weber, David L. Bradley

Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping

During the past five years, researchers at Penn State University (PSU) have used upward-looking multi-beam (MB) sonar to image the bubbly wakes of surface ships. In 2000, a 19-beam, 5° beam width, 120° sector, 250 kHz MB sonar integrated into an autonomous vehicle was used to obtain a first-of-a-kind look at the three-dimensional variability of bubbles in a large ship wake. In 2001 we acquired a Reson 8101 MB sonar, which operates at 240 kHz and features 101-1.5º beams spanning a 150º sector. In July 2002, the Reson sonar was deployed looking upward from a 1.4 m diameter buoy moored …

Modeling The Effects Of Physical And Biogeochemical Processes On Phytoplankton Species And Carbon Production In The Equatorial Pacific Ocean, Baris Salihoglu

OES Theses and Dissertations

The primary objective of this research is to investigate phytoplankton community response to variations in physical forcing and biological processes in the Cold Tongue region of the equatorial Pacific Ocean at 0°N, 140°W. This research objective was addressed using a one-dimensional multi-component lower trophic level ecosystem model that includes detailed algal physiology, such as spectrally-dependent photosynthetic processes and iron limitation on algal growth. The ecosystem model is forced by a one-year (1992) time series of spectrally-dependent light, temperature, and water column mixing obtained from a Tropical Atmosphere-Ocean (TAO) Array mooring. Autotrophic growth is represented by five algal groups, which have …

Interannual Variation Of Stratification In Lower Chesapeake Bay, Christopher S. Katzenmiller

OES Theses and Dissertations

Stratification in the water column can prove to be an important indicator to the state of the water column and ecosystem. The focus of this research is to evaluate trends in stratification in the Lower Chesapeake Bay. Detailed analysis was performed on a 14 year data set to study interannual variation in the region of study. Potential energy anomaly was used to quantify stratification. Potential energy anomaly is the amount of energy required to mix a water column. It is determined from the vertical density structure of density. Potential energy anomaly is the departure of potential energy from climate conditions. …

Waldo Lake Research In 2004, Mark D. Sytsma, John Rueter, Richard Petersen, Roy Koch, Scott A. Wells, Michelle Wood, Yangdong Pan, Robert Leslie Annear, Aaron Hook, Laura Johnson, Rich Miller, Amanda Murphy, Terry Stoltz

Center for Lakes and Reservoirs Publications and Presentations

The Willamette National Forest has worked with Portland State University, Center for Lakes and Reservoirs (PSU) and the University of Oregon (UO) to investigate ecosystem changes, provide guidance on long-term monitoring methods, assess monitoring data, develop predictive water quality models, and conduct research that will lead to better protection and understanding of the Waldo Lake ecosystem. This report summarizes the second year of collaborative PSU-UO research at Waldo Lake. Research has focused on understanding physical, chemical and biological characteristics of Waldo Lake across a range of spatial and temporal scales. Research tasks that continued from 2003 into 2004 included temperature …

Interaction Of Sea Ice Sediments And Surface Sea Water In The Arctic Ocean: Evidence From Excess 210Pb, M. Baskaran

Environmental Science and Geology Faculty Research Publications

We measured the activities of ²¹⁰Pb, ²²⁶Ra, ²³⁸U and ¹³⁷Cs in a suite of ice-rafted sediments (IRS) from the Arctic Ocean in an attempt to assess the interaction of sea ice sediments and surface water. The concentrations of these nuclides were compared to those of the benthic sediments in the coastal and shelf regions of the Arctic Ocean, which are believed to be the major source region for the IRS. The concentration factors (CF = activity of a nuclide in IRS/average activity in benthic sediments) are ∼1 and 4-92 for ¹³⁷Cs and ²¹⁰Pb, respectively. …

Water Quality Sampling, Analysis And Annual Load Determinations For Tss, Nitrogen And Phosphorus At The L'Anguille River Near Palestine, Marc A. Nelson, L. Wade Cash, Keith Trost, Jennifer Purtle

Technical Reports

A water quality sampling station was installed at the L’Anguille River near Palestine in 2003. This station is coordinated with a USGS gauging station at the same location. This station is instrumented to collect samples at sufficient intervals across the hydrograph to accurately estimate the flux of total suspended solids, nitrogen and phosphorus in the River. The L’Anguille River was listed on Arkansas' 1998 303d list as impaired from sediment (turbidity). The L’Anguille River was the second TMDL determined in Arkansas. Accurate determination of stream nutrients and sediment is critical for future determinations of TMDLs, effectiveness of best management practices …

Water Quality Sampling, Analysis And Annual Load Determinations For Nutrients And Sediment At The Arkansas Highway 45 Bridge On The White River Just Above Beaver Lake, Marc Nelson, L. Wade Cash, Keith Trost, Jennifer Purtle

Technical Reports

A water quality sampling station was installed at the Arkansas Highway 45 bridge on the White River just above Beaver Lake in 2002. This station is coordinated with a USGS gauging station at the same location. This station is instrumented to collect samples at sufficient intervals across the hydrograph to accurately estimate the flux of total suspended solids, nitrogen and phosphorus into the upper end of Beaver Lake from the White River. The West Fork of the White River is listed on Arkansas' 1998 303d list as impaired from sediment. The Upper White was designated as the states highest priority …

Water Quality Sampling, Analysis And Annual Load Determinations For Tss, Nitrogen And Phosphorus In The Bayou Bartholomew At Garrett Bridge, Ar And Near Portland, Ar, Marc A. Nelson, L. Wade Cash, G. Keith Trost, Jennifer Purtle

Technical Reports

Water quality sampling stations were installed at the Bayou Bartholomew at Garrett Bridge, AR and near Portland, AR. These stations are coordinated with USGS gauging stations at the same locations. These stations are instrumented to collect samples at sufficient intervals across the hydrograph to accurately estimate the flux of total suspended solids, nitrogen and phosphorus in the River. Bayou Bartholomew watershed is about 1.08 million acres and is located in the south east corner of the state. The land use in the watershed is mostly in forest and cropland agriculture with some urban area. High turbidity levels and excessive silt …

Water Quality Sampling, Analysis And Annual Load Determinations For Tss, Nitrogen And Phosphorus At The Washington County Road 76 Bridge On Ballard Creek, Marc A. Nelson, L. Wade Cash, G. Keith Trost, Jennifer Purtle

Technical Reports

The Illinois River Basin has experienced water quality impairment from non-point source pollution for many years. This fact was well documented in the State of Arkansas' Water Quality Assessment report, the Soil Conservation Service River Basin Study, and several University of Arkansas studies. Thirty-seven sub-watersheds have been identified by the SCS in the Arkansas portion of the Illinois River basin. In the Arkansas portion of the Basin, the Illinois River, Evansville Creek, Baron Fork, Cincinnati Creek, Muddy Fork, Moores Creek, Clear Creek, Osage Creek and Flint Creek were all classified as not supporting their designated use as primary contact recreation …

Water Quality Sampling, Analysis And Annual Load Determinations For Tss, Nitrogen And Phosphorus At The Washington County Road 195 Bridge On The West Fork Of The White River, 2004 Annual Report, Marc A. Nelson, L. Wade Cash, G. Keith Trost, Jennifer Purtle

Technical Reports

A water quality sampling station was installed at the Washington County road 195 bridge on the West Fork of the White River just above the confluence of the three main forks of the Upper White River in December 2001. The Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP) was approved by EPA Region six on March 2002 and sampling was begun at that time. This station is coordinated with a USGS gauging station at the same location. This station was instrumented to collect samples at sufficient intervals across the hydrograph to accurately estimate the flux of total suspended solids, nitrogen and phosphorus into …